Great Mythconceptions: The Science Behind the Myths

by Karl Kruszelnicki

As a celebrity scientist with regular weekly radio and television programs in Australia and the United Kingdom, Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki has heard a galaxy full of questions related to modern science.Do lemmings actually jump off cliffs? (They don't.) Did we really go to the moon? (Of course.) Does chocolate give you zits? (Never has. Never will.) Did Einstein fail school? (Nope.)Dr. Karl has labeled this endless stream of questionable queries Great Mythconceptions. Now, in his book of the same name, the good doctor seeks to set inquisitive minds straight on the most intriguing questions he's been asked.Does the soul weigh 21 grams? Can you apply a mathematical code to the Bible to predict future events? Do we really use only 10 percent of our brain? Does a duck's quack echo? Can mosquitoes really infect you with the AIDS virus? The funny facts and dizzying discoveries in Great Mythconceptions answer countless questions that have been asked for years. The book also features humorous black-and-white illustrations that reinforce each revelation. Each section concludes with bonus tidbits that delve deeper into related aspects of each question.

Genres: Science

207 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

Known popularly as Dr Karl.

Karl has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery and has worked as a physicist, tutor, film-maker, car mechanic, labourer, and as a medical doctor at the Kids' Hospital in Sydney.

In 1995 he took up the position of the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at Sydney University, spreading the good word about science and its benefits.

His enthusiasm for science is totally infectious and no one is better able to convey the excitement and wonder of it all than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki is.

Dr Karl's Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) site:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/

http://www.abc.net.au/profiles/conten...

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karl covers essential chapters like: Flush Toilet with Lid Up or Down? Goldfish Memory? and – (essential reading for none of us, yet all of us): Dirty Desks and Desktops. Eek! [NB ALWAYS flush with toilet lid DOWN. ALWAYS. Do not question this.]